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From: steveg@hpcvnb.CV.HP.COM (Steven_Grant)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Novice questions about pet birds
Message-ID: <21560013@hpcvnb.CV.HP.COM>
Date: 12 Dec 90 18:01:17 GMT
References: <1990Dec10.190648.13702@cbnewsj.att.com>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, Oregon
Lines: 46

/ hpcvnb:rec.birds / donnelly@cbnewsj.att.com (jeffrey.m.donnelly) / 11:06 am  Dec 10, 1990 /


>We want a bird who will know and show affection for us and seek the same
>from us.  From our research, cockatiels seem to fit this general description.

I agree. Cockatiels are an excelent choice.

>1. Is a cockatiel a good match for inexperienced bird owners.  Are they
>   hard to care for?
>   
They are a very easy bird to care for.  You should probably get a book 
and study up a little before getting any kind of pet bird though.
The magazene BIRD_TALK is a highly recomended reference.

>2. The bird would be alone during the day M-F.  Is this bad for the bird
>   I.e would it be cruel to leave it alone 9 hours a day?
>
You should have no problems here.  What is important is that your bird
gets a regular amount of time with you daily.  The more time the better
of course.

>3. Do cockatiels like a cage or would it rather live an a larger enclosed
>   area?  Friends from way back owned a large parrot.  They had a natural
>   like setting in the corner in their living room with rope netting as
>   a boundary.  Would a bird love this?
>
Buy or make your bird a good cage.  Don't mess around with netting or the
like, chancces are your bird will get hurt or killed in something like that.
My birds have always LOVED their cages.  The cage is much easier to keep 
clean also.  A 2X3X3 ft is a good size for a cockatiel.

>4. Do they need consistent daytime/nighttime hours?  Would the bird rather
>   be with us in the living room at night while we watch tv or read or would
>   it rather sleep in the dark in the evening?
>
Your bird needs to live in the room that you spend the most time in.  They
are social creatures and will want to be around you as much as possible.

>5. What age bird should we look to get?  I'm looking for a lower and upper
>   bound.  Any specific things to look out for? (like never get one with
>   glossy eyes cause its sick)
>
Get a Hand-fed baby that has just been weened if you want a cuddly bird.

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